The invention provides a front wheel attachment for a three wheeled stroller, and more specifically a method and apparatus for an add-on set of wheel castors or casters, for a jogging stroller.
Based upon a simple tricycle, the jogging stroller has become a xe2x80x9cmust havexe2x80x9d for the convenient transportation of small children. The conventional jogging stroller is based upon a triangular or alternatively a xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped frame. The frame has a front fork near the forward point of the frame. A single forward wheel attaches to the front fork, and a pair of rearward wheels attach to the rear of the frame.
The three wheels of the jogging stroller form a stable tripod. Therefore, three wheeled strollers have a significant advantage over their four wheeled, baby stroller and baby carriage predecessors in that a three wheeled configuration is better suited to steer, negotiate bumps and more comfortably carry a passenger. The term xe2x80x9cjogging strollerxe2x80x9d typically pertains to a subtle variation of a three wheeled push-stroller; suggesting that the person pushing the stroller can safely jog or run while pushing the stroller over varying terrain. The jogging type of three wheeled stroller may include oversized wheels and a hand brake, to better facilitate running and stopping with the stroller.
Many users of jogging strollers seek a stroller that can do more than a single function or be used for more than a single utility or purpose. A multifunctional stroller can provide the economy and convenience of a single stroller while performing various tasks or duties that typically would require additional strollers, each designed for a single, specific purpose.
Jogging type strollers are made for use on relatively straight and wide sidewalks, paths and streets. With their large diameter wheels, maneuvering the jogging stroller in close or confined areas can be difficult. The user must tip the stroller to lift the front wheel of the jogging stroller up and rearward. The user can then pivot the stroller about the rear pair of wheels, while keeping the front tire off the ground. In typically congested areas, such as stores, malls and office buildings, this tipping and pivoting is very awkward and cumbersome, and so results in a significant problem. Therefore, a jogging stroller is needed that solves the problem of limited xe2x80x9cclose-quartersxe2x80x9d maneuvering.
The invention provides a method and apparatus for an add-on front castor set uniquely configured for attachment to a jogging stroller of conventional design. The conventional jogging stroller is typified as having a frame with a front wheel fork, which can be simply referred to as a front fork. A single forward wheel attaches to the front fork, and a pair of rearward wheels attach to the rear of the frame.
The add-on front castor set of the present invention includes a crossbar as a primary component. The crossbar has a first crossbar end, a second crossbar end and a mid-crossbar. The mid-crossbar is the portion of the crossbar between the first crossbar end and the second crossbar end. A first castor mounts proximate the first crossbar end and a second castor mounts proximate the second crossbar end.
The add-on front castor set also includes a fork clamp that mounts proximate the mid-crossbar. The fork clamp is attachable to a front wheel fork of the jogging stroller. The front wheel fork is conventionally configured to accept a hubbed axle of the single forward wheel. The single forward wheel is detachable, allowing the front wheel fork to receive the fork clamp of the add-on front castor set.
In a preferred alternative of the present invention, a fork end receiver is mounted proximate the mid-crossbar. The fork end receiver can receive the front fork of the jogging stroller. The front fork of the conventional jogging stroller includes a first fork end and a second fork end. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fork end receiver of the add-on front castor set includes a first fork end receiver and a second fork end receiver. The first fork end is received into the first fork end receiver, and the second fork end is received into the second fork end receiver.
The first castor and the second castor are wheeled assemblies that each include a minimum of a single wheel. Preferably, the first castor includes a first swivel and the second castor includes a second swivel. The swivels allow the castors to respond instantly to directional changes in the motion of the jogging stroller.
The method of the present invention adds the front castor set to a three wheeled jogging stroller. First, the front wheel is removed from the front fork of the jogging stroller. The fork clamp of the front castor set is then attached to the front fork. Additionally, the method of the present invention can include attaching the fork clamp to the front fork by first inserting the front fork between a top clamp plate and a bottom clamp plate. Then a clamp screw is tightened by turning a clamp knob on the fork clamp. The clamp screw threads between the top clamp plate and the bottom clamp plate, and the clamp knob is mounted to an end of the clamp screw. By turning the clamp screw, the front fork is compressed between the top clamp plate and the bottom clamp plate to securely mount the fork clamp to the front fork.
To better seat the front fork into the add-on front castor set, the method of the present invention can include inserting the front fork of the jogging stroller into a fork end receiver. The front fork includes a first fork end and a second fork end, and the fork end receiver is positioned proximate the mid-crossbar of the front castor set. The fork end receiver includes a first fork end receiver and a second fork end receiver. The first fork end is received into the first fork end receiver, and the second fork end is received into the second fork end receiver.
According to one aspect of the invention, the add-on castor set gives the user the ability to quickly and easily modify the jogging stroller for tight cornering in cramped areas without tilting the stroller back to pivot about the rear wheels for turning. Specifically, the stroller configuration of the present invention includes an add-on castor set that allows a jogging stroller to function much as a conventional xe2x80x9cbaby stroller,xe2x80x9d with swiveling castors for quick changes in the direction of forward or rearward travel.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the add-on castor set is also easily removed for quick conversion of the modified stroller to the conventional jogging stroller configuration.
The invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.